Trump should tell people to wear coronavirus masks, ex-chief of staff Mick Mulvaney says

Former White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told CNBC on Wednesday that President Donald Trump “probably should” urge American residents to wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic. 

“It would not hurt him … politically and it certainly wouldn’t hurt us economically and would probably help for him to go out and say, ‘You know what, go back to work, just a wear a mask. It’s the best thing you can possibly do,'” Mulvaney, now a special envoy to Northern Ireland, said on “Squawk Box.”

Trump has largely eschewed wearing a face covering in public during the Covid-19 crisis, and even suggested some people choose to wear them only to “signal disapproval of him.” 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends people wear a mask in public, especially in settings where social distancing is difficult to maintain. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Cali., on Sunday called for the CDC to issue a mask mandate, which some state and local governments have done.  

Mulvaney, who Trump removed from his post as acting chief of staff in March, is the latest Republican in Washington to diverge from the president on face masks. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.,  said on Monday there should be “no stigma” about wearing a face covering, emphasizing it’s about “protecting everyone we encounter.” 

On Sunday, Vice President Mike Pence urged Americans who are living in areas with Covid-19 outbreaks to wear a mask in public. Pence’s comments came at an event in Texas, one of the U.S. states currently experiencing a significant rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. 

Mulvaney’s comments Wednesday followed the results of the latest CNBC/Change Research poll, which showed a majority of voters in six swing states key to the 2020 election disapprove of how Trump is handling the pandemic. Only 43% of voters agree that Trump is setting a good example and providing accurate information about proper Covid-19 precautions, the poll found.

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/01/mick-mulvaney-trump-should-tell-people-to-wear-coronavirus-masks.html